Three Lake County men will attempt their second stand up paddleboard trip of a 9 mile section of the Russian River on Sunday. They hope to cover a stretch between Redwood Valley and Talmage Rd. in Ukiah.
This trip can only be accomplished during the Winter Season after heavy rains, which swell the river and make it possible to stand up paddleboard through the swift currents, jetties, small rapids and other obstacles.
The goal of the previous venture a year ago, completed by Mike Conser (owner of Mendo-Lake SUP), Chris King (Co-Owner of King Designs & Carve Pilates in Lakeport) and Brian Robertson (of Steel Winery), was to make the trip all the way down to Hopland from just South of Coyote Valley Casino in Redwood Valley. Due to a few obstacles and barriers along the trip, they had to cut it short after several hours and exit the Russian River at Talmage Rd. in Ukiah.
Traveling along this stretch of the Russian River allows for many breathtaking views that wouldn’t normally be seen, even by the residents of the area. In some dangerous, unnavigable areas, the athletes would have to pick up their boards and find a safe way around on foot, but never more than a quick few steps. It’s not surprising to have a 10 foot log floating down the river beside you at any given time during a high water state.
The boarders have all the safety equipment required, besides the necessary full wetsuits and booties. Most importantly they wear personal floatation devices and helmets, carry whistles, knives, they even use leashes to stay attached to the inflatable paddleboards and paddles — although they can quickly be released in an emergency situation, such as being pulled under by the current.
On Sunday, with the addition of Chris Hudgins (the SeaDooDr.) from Lucerne, they plan to navigate the river to assess the route’s navigability in order to offer the adventure trip to clients through the 2016 season. The run will be made in even higher water than last year.
Paddleboarding in Lake and Mendocino Counties is not new. Mendo-Lake SUP has been providing lessons, rentals, group trips and coreboarding exercise classes each summer throughout Lake and Mendocino Counties for the past two summers.
